How Much Do UPS Drivers Make a Year

UPS driver salary is one of the highest in the trucking industry. You’ll be delivering packages just like any other delivery man, but efficiency and professionalism are non-negotiable.

There are different classifications of “Brown truck” drivers and depending on the risk and labor involved, salary may vary.

Depending on which truck driving job you seek, UPS can offer you an annual salary that can go from $60,000 up to $80,000.

UPS Truck Driver Pay Scale

Driving

Average Salary per Hour

Tractor Trailer Driver

$27.83

Truck Driver

$25.29

Driver

$19.84

Delivery Driver

$13.90

Courier

$11.78

UPS Driver Requirements & Benefits

To qualify as a UPS Driver there are certain skill sets you must possess. Apart from specific personality attributes you must have a couple of qualifications.

As mentioned earlier UPS drivers are well remunerated; not just salary wise but they also receive generous benefit packages.

UPS Driver Requirements

To become a UPS driver is both mentally and physically demanding. That’s why the requirements are rather strict.

Firstly to qualify as a UPS Driver you must be in possession of a valid driver’s license. However for it to count it must have been issued in the state you live in.

Other UPS facilities require you to have experience in driving a delivery vehicle—particularly with a manual transmission.

Before you can be a UPS driver you must undergo a full Department of Transport (DOT) physical exam. Being a UPS driver is quite taxing physically. It requires a considerable amount of arm strength to haul those packages.

This includes lifting and loading cargo onto the trucks as well as unloading in a timely manner. Drivers are constantly timed so if you’re not keen on heavy lifting this job isn’t for you.

Apart from being physically fit you need to be able to handle the logistics that come with driving trucks. This means you should have excellent customer service skills.

Being able to interact with different customers from various backgrounds is paramount. As a result, you must be able to speak English fluently and write it too.

With regards to age, you must be at least 18 years old to be considered. However, the upside is a college degree isn’t a pre-requisite.

UPS Benefits

UPS isn’t only concerned about the welfare of employees at work but the general quality of your life. That’s why they devised a number of packages to improve your mental and physical wellbeing. Working as a UPS driver means you’re eligible to generous packages including the following:

Leave Packages
UPS understands the importance of rest. That’s why you’ll get up to 15 vacation days each year for that well-deserved break.

You also get five personal leave days and 10 sick days annually. In summer you have the option of taking either half or full days off depending on your preference.

Comprehensive Healthcare Plans
Under this plan, you’re covered for all your medical, vision and dental needs. Still on the subject of health USP has a number of wellness programs in place. Also, fitness centers and classes are available on site.

Professional Developments
Improving yourself professionally is important to UPS. For this reason, you’ll get up to $10 000 annually in tuition reimbursement for furthering your studies.

Also, you have the opportunity to shadow the CEO as well as take part in the strategic initiatives of the company. You’ll also have access to leadership opportunities via custom USP solution.

Income Packages
In the event of any unfortunate accidents that prohibit you from working, you’re covered for both short and long-term disability.

In addition to the above USP drivers receive 10% employer contribution to your 401k after a year of service.

Money UPS pays to a UPS package delivery driver

Also known as “Package Cars”, brown truck drivers are said to have an average salary of $74,000 in a year. That is taking into consideration of overtime pay which is roughly $45 an hour. Also one might consider the length of stay in the company.

With a regular starting wage of $25 an hour and a 40-hour work per week, it falls down short of $50,000. That is if you wouldn’t consider taking the overtime privilege.

There is also a cash bonus every end of the year. It can go up to around $2,000 or even more. You’ll need to fill in the requirements of course. These include a maintained clean driving record, drug tests, operating manual transmissions, and capable of lifting cargo loads up to 70 pounds.

In total, that adds up to around $52,000 and even up to $76,000. It is a considerable pay scale, compared from other trucking companies. Remember, that doesn’t include the many benefits that UPS delivery is offering.

Another trucking job categorized under the package delivery system is the courier job. The median annual salary range can go around $28,000 at $14 per hour. It is significantly lower since there are lesser risks and labor involved.

Full-time UPS Freight driver salary

Unlike brown truck drivers, a UPS freight driver can earn an annual salary of up to $78,000. This is one of the highest paid salaries among OTR drivers even with other trucking companies. Of course, they should have a CDL with Haz-Mat endorsement.

On top of that, these CDL drivers should at least be 21 years of age. Others will require you to meet the company’s physical and mental requirements and have a clean driving record.

Aside from having competitive salaries for UPS freight line haul drivers, they also offer top-notch benefits. These include your medical, dental, vision, life insurance, sickness and accident insurance, just to name a few.

More UPS jobs salaries

Here are some other job offerings from UPS.

Route driver wage

Route drive involves more responsibility. They not only deliver packages, but also interact with the company’s most loyal clients. That being said, they are considered to have a critical role in the company’s reputation and product sales. Of course, with higher responsibilities, the higher the salary could be expected.

As a route driver for UPS, you can expect around $40,000 up to $100,000 annual salary. The factors that may affect how your salary increases also vary. It will depend on your years of stay in the company, your clean driving records, and performance as a driver.

Part time driver salary

As with other companies, UPS are offering part-time jobs. Such jobs include seasonal jobs. With UPS, seasonal workers can start from $10 pay an hour. Company representative also stated that driving jobs are much higher and can start with a high $32 an hour.

On top of that, there are weekly retention bonuses that can go up to $200. That is if the requirements are met, such as working for a whole week without missing a shift. There are also exclusive benefits offered by company. Insurance is just one benefit of a part-time driver when in UPS.

Owner operator pay

Owner operator truck drivers probably are one of the highest paid driving jobs in UPS. There are both pros and cons of course. You’ll need to consider the requirements to apply to these kinds of jobs more seriously.

Owner operators do not get paid by the hour, but instead by the mile. Starting pay is around $1.05, which is pretty high when you take into account the number of hours allowed for OTR drivers. With 2,000 to 3,000 miles per week, you can earn up to $150,000 if reached the maximum mileage per week.

What’s even crazier is when 24 months have passed; your by-the-mile rate can go up to $1.07. No wonder more and more OTR drivers are lining up for UPS.

UPS new driver salary

Even as a new driver in UPS, you can earn as much as $60,000 pay a year. It is significantly higher than the average annual salary all across the United States which is $45,000. The time a new driver reached a certain year, salary will most likely increase, including more benefits.

UPS vs FedEx pay

FedEx is a reputable company known to offer good money to their drivers. To have an idea of how much a UPS salary is compared to a FedEx salary, we’ll have to take their cash bonuses into consideration.

Under the FedEx shipping company, drivers can earn an average of $48,000 annually at a rate of approximately $24 per hour. Add the $5,600 cash bonuses per year and it can go up to a total of $53,600.

Under UPS, employee salaries have an average of $60,000 annually, at a rate of $30 per hour. Include the cash bonuses of around $2,000 and that leaves us with a total of $62,000.

Take note, these rates are taken into averages, and the accurate salary would vary on which classification of driving you’ll fall into. Either which, UPS driver makes more than most trucking companies.